Germain Racing News

Mooresville, NC (04/26/2011) – As the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East heads toward Virginia, Zach Germain and the No. 24 Camry team of Germain Racing are putting the finishing touches on a new chassis for them, one well-known in the team shop as “Patches.”

“We are racing a chassis known as Patches. It was the workhorse of our No. 15 team last year. They used it a lot and it worked very well for them. What that means for our K&N program is we have a thick notebook on this Camry. So far JJ (crew chief Jamie Jones) tells me he likes what he sees with this car on our pull-down rig,” said Germain.

Germain has never gone to the track with a new car that’s he’s not tested. He might be nervous if he wasn’t so excited about the opportunity of racing at Richmond.

“There’s so much to be excited about as far as racing at Richmond goes and I think it’s kind of keeping me from thinking too much about climbing into a race car I’ve never driven to race at a track I’ve only visited one time,” said Germain with a grin.

The Columbus, OH, native hopes simulator practice, veteran advice and racing at Iowa will prove helpful in his initiation at the three-quarter-mile Virginia oval.

“I think going into Richmond with more time on the simulator than I ever have as far as any single track. I’ve had a lot of good advice from a lot of drivers like Mark Green, here at Germain Racing, and a lot of our other drivers. Casey Mears was a big help for Phoenix and I’m going to talk to him more about Richmond,” said Germain.

Zach Germain, a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, is in his second season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Listen to the live race audio stream on Thursday, April 28th, for 100 laps/75 miles of racing in the Blue Ox 100 beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern at NASCARHomeTracks.com, brought to you by the team at Speed51; then watch the race on SPEED, May 16, 6 p.m.

Zach Germain is on Twitter @ZachGermain and Facebook (facebook.com/pages/Zach-Germain-Racing/117537741607395). Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

Mooresville, NC (04-25-2011) – The return to Nashville Superspeedway for the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra team and driver Todd Bodine was bittersweet. The race chassis TRD-131 that was so dominant in last year’s Nashville victory was again an incredibly fast race truck. Bodine led the race for only two laps, which doesn’t tell the story of how much better his Toyota was than eventual race winner Kyle Busch.

“We qualified seventh. Todd worked through traffic and drove up to the bumper of the 18 after making up over three seconds on the race track under the green flag. There was nothing on that track faster than our Germain.com Tundra and I’m very proud of what that means to all of our guys on this team and at Germain Racing,” said crew chief Mike Hillman Jr.

Bodine started seventh, was third within ten laps and second for much of the first 60 laps of the race. A mishap on pit road caused damage to the nose of the No. 30 Tundra, forcing several extra visits to pit road and an end result of a 19th-place finish.

After five of 25 races in 2011, Bodine ranks seventh in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings.The next race is May 13th at Dover International Speedway.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

When shopping for your new or used car or truck, head directly to Germain.com to find the perfect vehicle or visit your local Germain dealer in Ohio, Florida, or Arkansas. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

Mooresville, NC (April, 24, 2011) – Brendan Gaughan was happy to see Nashville Superspeedway next on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule. After the 150-lap 2nd Annual Bully Hill Vineyards 200 race has now come and gone along with flashbacks of a heart-breaking race in Homestead circa 2003, Gaughan and his team are even more anxious to get to the next race on the schedule – the “Monster Mile” officially known as Dover International Speedway.

“Nashville was good weekend for this South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra team. Our Toyota was very strong. We were definitely close to the 30 team in terms of speed. Dover is next and I know our guys are really looking forward to building on what we were able to accomplish on Friday,” said Gaughan who qualified 22nd and spent much of the race running in and around the 11th position before finishing 17th.

Gaughan’s Tundra was tagged and drawn into a crash involving the 60 and 63 trucks at lap 138. The incident gave the team an un-planned opportunity to showcase the raw speed and strength of their race truck.

“We really got to show how strong our Toyota was when we were wrecked with twelve to go. We restarted 26th or 28th and made up a lot of ground. The wreck was just like at Homestead a few years back – I thought I was going to make it through and at the last second…contact,” explained Gaughan.

The Las Vegas native said he and crew chief Bryan Berry started the weekend with the race-winning setup that Germain Racing teammate Todd Bodine used in the fall at Nashville. From there, the team made some adjustments.

“We started the weekend with the setup from the 30 team and adjusted from there. The decision worked very well for us. Dover is another concrete, fast oval and from there, we’re in the wheelhouse of Germain Racing. Charlotte, Kansas, Texas, Kentucky. This is a great time for this 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota team to hit its stride,” said Gaughan.

Brendan Gaughan has eight career victories in the Truck Series. He ranks 14th in the NCWTS points standings after five of 25 races.

Next up: Dover International Raceway on May 13, 2011.

Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

Late Race Spin Pushes Max Papis Back to a 23rd-Place Finish at Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 22, 2011) – In 2008, Max Papis made his first career start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, but since that day three short years ago, the Como, Italy native hasn’t competed in more than nine Truck Series events in one season. So even though Papis isn’t running for the Rookie of the Year title, the GEICO Racing driver entered Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway with a yellow stripe on the rear of his No. 9 Toyota Tundra for the fifth race of the 2011 season on Friday night.

After a brief rain shower delayed the start of the two practice sessions Friday morning, Papis took to the concrete track and quickly adjusted to the new racing surface. At the conclusion of both practices, the No. 9 GEICO Toyota was scored in the fifth position. Papis then laid down two solid laps in qualifying to place his Germain Racing entry in 11th-place to start the 150-lap race under the lights.

Once the green flag waved in Music City, Papis was ready to vie for the coveted Gibson guitar trophy. The first 40 laps of action saw Papis in the 13th position, gaining additional seat time at the unique one-of-a-kind circuit, as the driver reported to his GEICO crew that his Tundra was fighting a tight handling condition. Green flag pit stops began on lap 50 and Papis made his way to the attention of his crew for four tires, fuel, and adjustments. However through the sequence, the No. 9 GEICO Toyota fell one lap down to the leaders. On lap 59, the opening caution slowed the field for debris after the field had completed green flag pit stops. Papis placed himself in position to receive the Lucky Dog Award, which put him back on the lead lap.

The field restarted on lap 64, with Papis in the 17th position. Papis continued to battle with his competitors but remained in the same running order as the second caution was displayed 12 laps later on lap 76 for oil on the racetrack. A few leaders in front of the GEICO Toyota came to pit road for service, while Papis stayed out, allowing him to take the green flag restart on lap 80 from 14th-place.

On lap 83, Papis was on the topside of a three-wide battle and contact was made between Papis and David Starr. The GEICO Toyota received damage in the left rear and lost a handful of positions, pushing Papis back to 18th-place. The third caution was brought out on lap 103 for debris, giving Papis the opportunity to return to pit road for four tires, fuel, and additional adjustments.

Restarting on lap 107, Papis took off from the 15th position, as the GEICO crew gained three spots on pit road. Two short circuits later, the fourth caution came out on lap 109 for a spin by Austin Dillon in turn two. After track cleanup concluded, Papis took the green flag restart on lap 113 from 16th-place.

For the next 20 laps, Papis still felt uneasy handling effects from the contact that took place earlier in the event. Another caution closed in the field on lap 138 for an accident in turn four, as Papis was in the 18th position. With less than 10 laps remaining, Papis looked to make a late race push on the lap 142 restart. Unfortunately three laps later, Papis received contact from Brad Sweet, spinning the No. 9 GEICO Toyota in turn two. No damage was sustained as Papis did a great job of keeping his truck off the wall.

Papis took the green flag on lap 148 from the 24th position and over the final three laps, the Italian gained one spot to cross the finish line in the 23rd-place.

As the GEICO Racing team never gave up, Papis unofficially remains in the ninth position in the NCWTS driver championship point standings, only two points behind eighth-place Clay Rogers. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will have a break in action before heading to Dover (Del.) International Speedway on Friday, May 13th.

- Gaughan drives the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra - He is an 8-time winner in the Truck Series - He holds two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Championship Titles - Gaughan won in the GT class in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year - Gaughan has 6 starts at Nashville and has completed 901 of 902 laps - He has two top-5 and four top-10 starts at Nashville

Mooresville, N.C. (April 19, 2011) - The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is entering a stretch of six intermediate race tracks. The stretch kicks off in Nashville on Friday night and Brendan Gaughan couldn’t be happier to hit this comfort zone on the 2011 season schedule. Gaughan has earned eight career wins, all of which were earned on intermediate tracks. Germain Racing, who fields the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra for Gaughan, has 22 Truck Series victories—18 of those have come from tracks within the intermediate category.

“Nashville’s always been a good track for me going back to my earliest days in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I’ve rarely had a bad race at the track. Nashville is the start of us being back to tracks that are good for me and for Germain Racing. Nashville is a fast track with it’s banking and concrete surface. It suits my driving style. I like rolling the corners and driving into the corners real hard,” explained Gaughan, who ranks13th in NCWTS standings heading into Friday’s race. “We’re coming into a stretch of tracks where I kind of look at them and see the string of tracks that I feel as a driver that I am better at than other places. And, with the Germain Racing team, these are the tracks where our Toyotas excel. You look at the team’s success on these tracks and it’s one of the reasons I came to Germain Racing.”

With Gaughan and the team so in tune with what it takes to win and be successful on intermediate circuits, Gaughan says he and his team know how they will start off their weekend with the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra.

“We’re going back to Nashville knowing that Todd [Bodine, teammate] won there last year. We’re going to start with Mike Hillman Jr.’s setup in our No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra and go from there,” explained Gaughan, who will unveil a slick, brand new race chassis, GR-017.

Gaughan has earned two top-five finishes and four top-ten finishes at Nashville in six Truck Series races. He has completed all but one lap of competition in the NCWTS and despite these strong numbers he’s not yet led a lap there.

In the weeks between Martinsville and Nashville, Gaughan rejoined some of his friends from his earlier Rolex 24 Hours race victory and headed to California for the Long Beach Grand Prix. He raced in the ALMS event with TRG.

Watch Gaughan’s No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on Friday night, April 22nd, at Nashville Superspeedway. The action starts on SPEED with qualifying airing at 5:00 PM ET on Friday and racing at 8:00 PM—all on SPEED. If you’ll be away from a TV, set the DVR and tune your radio dial to your local MRN affiliate.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. He currently ranks 13th in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s points standings.

Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

About South Point…The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

From Eighth in Points, Bodine Likes His Germain.com Tundra Team’s Chances at Climbing Higher in the Standings at Nashville on Friday Night

- Bodine is the Reigning Truck Series Champion after earning his 2nd title in 201-- Bodine is Third Driver in Truck Series History to Win Multiple Titles & Clinch Early- Bodine Owns 21 Truck Series wins with Germain Racing and 36 NASCAR career wins- He earned his first Nashville victory last year

April 19, 2011 (Mooresville, N.C.) - Nashville Superspeedway is a track where Todd Bodine and Germain Racing have always managed to be contenders. Until last year, they’d remained shut out of victory lane. With their guitar trophy on display at the team headquarters, the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra has nothing more to do this weekend...than try to win again at the concrete oval in Tennessee.

“Nashville is a fun track and, yes, mile and a half tracks are definitely our forte even though we still like short tracks. We know we can go to a mile and a half and win the race. We need to get going and get caught up in points, so Nashville should be a great place for us to do that with the Germain.com Tundra,” explained Bodine.

The two-time Truck Series champion said that after the years of waiting for a Nashville victory, the return to the track after earning the coveted guitar trophy is still all about the business of winning again.

“I’ve always run well at Nashville and always loved going there, so it’s no different. I still want to win, that’s the reason we go to any race track,” said Bodine.

Winning might also be the reason he signs autographs at hockey games? During the off-weeks between Martinsville and Nashville, Bodine signed autographs at a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey game. At half time, he raced NASCAR driver Eddie MacDonald on beer coolers, and he won!

“I didn’t cheat! I just bump-drafted him and passed him,” smiled Bodine, who also installed a vinyl fence for his nephew in Florida during his downtime.

Bodine has competed in seven Truck Series events at Nashville and has scored six top-ten finishes, five top-five’s, two pole awards and one win. This Friday he’ll compete in his 170th Truck Series race when he fires up the Germain.com Tundra for the fourth race of the 2011 season. Bodine has 733 NASCAR career starts to date. After four races, Bodine ranks 8th in Truck Series standings, 28 points out of first place.

Watch Bodine in the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra on Friday, April 22nd, at Nashville Superspeedway. The action starts on SPEED with qualifying airing at 5:00 PM ET followed by racing at 8:00 PM—all on SPEED. Can’t get to a television? Tune your radio to your local MRN affiliate.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

When shopping for your new or used car or truck, head directly to Germain.com to find the perfect vehicle or visit your local Germain dealer in Ohio, Florida, or Arkansas. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

Talladega, AL (April 17, 2011) – A week ago, the Lone Star state saw Casey Mears record a 26th place finish and put his GEICO team back in the Top 35, ensuring he would be locked into the Talladega race.Mears and the Germain Racing team arrived in Alabama looking to extend their run of positive happenings.

After sitting 24th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ opening practice session, Mears experienced a setback when qualifying saw him place the #13 GEICO Camry 40th on the starting grid.Patience is a virtue for the California native and race day would find it on full display.

On Sunday, the green flag turned the field loose for 188 laps of racing amid bright sunshine, cool temperatures and a slight breeze.Rolling off the starting grid from the 40th starting position, Mears wasted little time in making his presence felt.By the close of Lap 1, he had the #13 GEICO Camry in 34th, while Lap 5 saw him in 27th, quickly approaching the Top 25.

Pacing the high-banks of Talladega Superspeedway’s 2.66-mile tri-oval is a task better tackled by two, so Mears quickly connected with Robby Gordon.Gordon would end up being Mears’ drafting partner for the balance of the afternoon and they would spend their day slicing through the field picking up position after position.Things would later go awry, but for most of the race it was a mutually beneficial relationship that saw the pair reach the front of the field on multiple occasions.

On Lap 27, Brian Vickers found the wall and brought out the event’s first caution flag of the day, allowing Mears to bring his #13 GEICO Camry to the attention of the Germain Racing pit crew.After outfitting Mears with four fresh tires and a tank of Sunoco racing fuel, they returned Mears to the racing surface where he restarted in the 17th position on Lap 32.

The dynamic duo of Mears and Gordon continued to collect positions and after cracking the Top 15 on Lap 103, Mears made his appearance in the Top 5 on Lap 107.As restrictor-plate racing goes, the #13 GEICO Camry would vacillate up and down the scoring monitor until Lap 130 saw Mears put the Gecko at the front of the field, taking the lead and collecting much needed bonus points.

The Mears-Gordon partnership proved to be productive and the pair were inside the Top 10 with just eight laps remaining in the race.It was then that Gordon made a decision to go it alone and pulled out of line and passed Mears, causing both cars to free-fall to 23rd position with just five laps left on the docket.Mears would re-engage Gordon and attempt to make up positions lost, but it was too late.Despite the setback, Mears still managed to hustle the #13 GEICO Camry to a 22nd place finish at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ second restrictor-plate race of the season.Most importantly, Mears’ finish keeps the Germain Racing team in the Top 35 in the owner point standings.

“22nd is a decent finish, but it’s frustrating knowing that we should’ve been in the Top 5,” a visibly frustrated Mears exclaimed after climbing from the #13 GEICO Camry.“We weren’t out there just racing today, we were out there competing for the win.We had a great car and I’m proud of this GEICO team for all of their hard work.The pit crew did a great job today and we did all we could to make it happen.Unfortunately, you just can’t control what other people are going to do.But we had a really good day and it was nice to be able to take GEICO to the front of the field.”

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will take a weekend off before traveling to Richmond, VA, the weekend of April 30th.

Mears and the #13 GEICO Toyota Camry will hit the 3/4-mile D-shaped oval of Richmond International Raceway for the opening practice session at 12:00 PM (EDT) on Friday, April 29th. Qualifying will follow at 5:35 PM (EDT).

The Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Saturday, April 30th, and it will be televised live on FOX beginning at 7:30 PM (EDT).The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.geicogarage.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

Never Give Up Philosophy of Germain Racing Has 24 Team
Looking Forward to Racing at South Boston on Saturday and
Raising Awareness for Red Cross Efforts in Japan

Mooresville, N.C. (04-12-2011) – Sophomore driver Zach Germain has learned since joining Germain Racing that it’s nearly impossible to find anyone in the garage, driver or crew member, who has more competitive spirit than his Germain Racing teammates. After the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener in Greenville-Pickens, Germain Racing made the handling of the No. 24 Camry a team project. The young driver knew how rich with talent Germain Racing was, but, the team’s depth of information and the drive to succeed still surprised the Columbus, OH, native.

“I am excited to get to South Boston. For the past two weeks, my team, and really everyone at Germain Racing, has just put a ton of effort into improving our No. 24 Camry. We have talked about ways to use the design of this chassis to our advantage when we get to South Boston and I think it will give us an excellent opportunity to showcase the team’s depth and to promote the ongoing efforts by the Red Cross to aid the disaster victims in Japan,” said Germain.

Germain will sport a Red Cross disaster relief message on the hood of the No. 24 Camry. This was initiated by fellow Toyota team owner Shigeaki Hattori, a former Germain Racing driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“Shige was in Japan when the earthquake hit. He was actually visiting Toyota headquarters and it was far enough away that they didn’t immediately understand the severity of the situation. Since then, we have all learned how serious the disaster is. My family has a relationship with Toyota that dates back more than 40 years, and Germain Racing has earned two championships for Toyota. It’s important for us to use our resources to promote ongoing Red Cross efforts for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami,” said Germain.

General manager Mike Hillman Sr. adds that it’s important to keep the Red Cross efforts top of mind as this disaster isn’t one that can be overcome overnight.

“It’s very easy to lose focus on the tragedy in Japan because it’s so far away and it isn’t as big of a story in the news. Conditions really are not better. It’s important for Germain Racing to help support the Toyota family and all those affected by this disaster in Japan,” said Hillman.

Hattori was in Japan for the events.

“I have seen so much of this tragedy from being there when it happened. I am fortunate my family is safe, but I really want to do what I can to coordinate with my friends in Japan to bring aid to the victims. I appreciate Zach and Germain Racing and the Toyota Racing associates here in the U.S. for helping raise awareness for what the Red Cross is doing for Japan,” said Hattori, who resides in Tokyo.

The No. 24 Camry will be on track Saturday, April 16th at South Boston Speedway. Practice begins at 12:05 PM Eastern, qualifying is at 4:30 PM with 150 laps of racing scheduled for 7:00 PM. Germain is scheduled to sign autographs for fans at 5:15 PM.

Zach Germain is on Twitter @ZachGermain and Facebook (facebook.com/pages/Zach-Germain-Racing/117537741607395). Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

Fort Worth, TX (April 9, 2011) – After a heartbreaking week in Martinsville, Casey Mears and the GEICO team eagerly anticipated their weekend in Texas.A week ago, Mears drove the #13 GEICO Toyota Camry to the front of the field before a tire issue, followed by a transmission problem, dashed the hopes of the Germain Racing team.

In the interest of moving forward, Mears climbed into the #13 GEICO Camry in Texas on Thursday for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ opening practice session and promptly took control of the ‘go or go home’ field.The Gecko sat 28th on the speed chart and was the fastest ‘go or go home’ car, giving the GEICO team hope as they prepared for Friday’s qualifying session.

Mears would not fail to impress and would navigate the 1.5-mile quad-oval of Texas Motor Speedway in just 28.933 seconds, at a rate of speed of 186.638 miles per hour.Mears’ effort landed the #13 GEICO Camry 22nd on Saturday’s Samsung Mobile 500 starting grid.

Amid heavy winds and 80-degree temperatures, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series field took the green flag for 334 laps of racing.Rolling off the starting grid from the 22nd position, Mears fell backwards as he began to immediately battle a loose condition.

Mears would free-fall to 31st before the event’s first caution flag of the day was displayed on Lap 9.After bringing the #13 GEICO Camry down pit road for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment, Mears started to head north on the scoring chart.By Lap 57, he was riding in 26th and on the rear bumpers of Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne.Eight laps later, Mears would pilot the #13 GEICO Camry around Kahne and Brian Vickers and move into the 24th position.

Following a scheduled green flag pit stop on Lap 95, Mears began to report a loose condition in the #13 GEICO Camry.Casey radioed to crew chief Bootie Barker: “I’m way loose.I’m sideways out here.The back end is terrible.”Barker assured his driver that the necessary adjustments would be made during the next pit stop.

The caution Mears so badly needed came out on Lap 113 when Ken Schrader cut down a tire.Running in the 30th position, Mears brought his #13 GEICO Camry to the attention of his Germain Racing pit crew, who outfitted Mears with four fresh tires, a full tank of fuel and adjustments.

Mears had moved into 29th when he found himself narrowly avoiding peril when a Lap 215 crash involving Martin Truex, Jr., Mark Martin and Regan Smith occurred just in front of the #13 GEICO Camry.Mears carefully maneuvered through the carnage and began his march to the Top 25.

When the checkered flag waved under a Texas night sky, Mears had hustled to a 26th place finish.His effort returned GEICO and the Germain Racing team to the Top 35, ensuring they will be in the field next week in Talladega.

“Of course we want to be better, but we were able to work hard tonight, get a 26th place finish and get back in the Top 35,” Mears said after climbing from his #13 GEICO Camry.“It certainly makes a difference when you can show up each week and be guaranteed a starting spot, so obviously our top priority is being in the Top 35 and we were able to make that happen tonight.The crew worked hard during our pit stops and we were able to be persistent and achieve our goal.”

While Mears’ weekend ended on a good note, getting back in the Top 35 was not the only exciting thing that happened.Mears’ new GEICO commercial began airing this weekend.The commercial features the GEICO driver as a ‘golfer’ and he appears to be ‘driving’ a golf ball during the spot.

Mears and the GEICO team will next travel to Talladega, Alabama, for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ second restrictor-plate race of the 2011 season.

Mears and the #13 GEICO Toyota Camry will hit the 2.66-mile tri-oval of Talladega Superspeedway for the opening practice session at 2:00 PM (EDT) on Friday, April 15th.Qualifying will follow on Saturday, April 16th at 11:35 AM (EDT).

The Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Sunday, April 17th and it will be televised live on FOX beginning at 1:00 PM (EDT).The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.geicogarage.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

Jessica Germain and Matt Guth of Germain Motor Company Join AutoSmarts This Week

April 7, 2011 - NASCAR may not be racing on Sunday, but Auto Smarts as presented by Germain Cadillac is not taking the day off! Join hosts Dan "Boots" Longenette, Randy Rhinehart, Lex McAllister and Germain Honda GM Jessica Germain this and every Sunday from 10a-12n on 95.5 The Hawk and Wink 107.1! This week, the crew welcomes Germain Cadillac of Easton Service Advisor Matt Guth to the program. Matt will tell us why so many people choose Germain Cadillac to service their vehicles and how his co-workers go above and beyond to make sure they keep coming back! Get your dialing fingers ready! The Auto Smarts crew will be standing by to take your calls! Call 614-389-4044 or toll free at 855-786-0556! You can also email them by going to www.autosmartsradio.com. While you're there, check out the site and see all of the ways Auto Smarts as presented by Germain Cadillac can help you out when it comes to anything automotive!

The Auto Smarts as presented by Germain Cadillac crew is very excited for Hour Two. The gang will welcome Michael Sacks of Kimmel and Silverman to the show this Sunday! Michael will take your calls and deliver his 1-800 Lemon Law Lemon Aid Minute live and in person from the Auto Smarts studio, high atop Germain Cadillac of Dublin! Jack Moser's weekly bustedfordrunkdriving.com feature will be one you don't want to miss and National Trail Racewayhoncho Mike Fornataro will check in with Bits from the Pits!

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About Germain Racing

Germain Racing team owner Bob Germain Jr. is passionate about racing in NASCAR’s highest ranks. He and his brothers, Steve and Rick, established the racing team in 2004 and Bob is thrilled to see the team’s progression to competing each week in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.